October 17, 2010

Rooney to leave Manchester?: After losing his place in the team and a mystery/imaginary ankle injury, Wayne Rooney has informed Manchester United that he has no desire to sign a new contract and intends to leave Manchester for another club as soon as possible, likely during the January transfer window. The most interesting possible destination may involve him not even leaving Manchester: "Insane as it is . . #MCFC are very much in the melting pot #Rooney #MUFC #thingsIthoughtIwouldneverwrite" -via Daniel Taylor of the Guardian on Twitter

Sir Alex vs Player in spat made public by Player.
That's not usually a game Player wins.

Surely all but a rampant Man Utd sentimentalist would agree that Ferguson has been a master at getting rid of players just before their form disappears, no? For my money, he's been brilliant at that.

As for all the guff being talked about what Rooney's worth - what's he done? He's one of the most over-rated players I've ever seen, which isn't to say he's not very good at football, just that he's rated way too highly in my view.

Surely all but a rampant Man Utd sentimentalist would agree that Ferguson has been a master at getting rid of players just before their form disappears, no?

It's not always easy to tell, but Fergie's clearly been able to avoid situations where big-name players dictate terms to the club, instead ensuring that the club looks after lifers like Giggs, Scholes and even Solskjaer in ways that have probably extended their careers at the top. I'm pretty sure that if it's an attempt at contract negotiation through selected leaks, it isn't going to work at Old Trafford.